The Jade Dragon
by xXTheTwilightNemesisXx
Summary: During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in 1937, Jinafire Long's world is crashing around her as the invading force breaks apart the city in a hail of guns and steel. To be kept safe, she is thrown through a "shimmery light," forcing her to leave behind her home and family in a blaze of fire.


_"Such, such were the joys,_

_When we all, girls and boys,_

_In our youth time were seen,_

_On the Echoing Green.."_

_-William Blake, The Echoing Green_

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><p><em>Chapter 1: The Sun Does Descend<em>

_Shanghai, China_

_1937_

The bullets were furious, spitting out to the humans as they scurried for safety. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The human men tried holding the soldiers off, but it was no use. Guns worked faster than fists. I quickened my pace back to my family's palace, occasionally passing other monsters as they held their hands over their mouths, just staring. We thought this was another normie affair.

We were wrong.

The first to know was a small dragon boy. Maybe seven. Shot twice in the stomach. His mother soon followed. One of the soldiers yelled at the other in Japanese, and they both ran off to spread their bullets elsewhere. Everyone was scurrying and screaming, trying to evade the fire. I ran and ran, but was confronted by a young man yelling in his native tongue. Sucking my breath in, I released inner fire on the man. I did not want to do it. But he hesitated, and I did not want to die. What choice did I have?This was not the time for morals. Not the timefor pity or emotion. I came up to the dragon emblazoned doors of the palace and screamed. Both gaurds along with a Japanese soldier were dead and limp on the floor. The guards had been shot in the jugular, the soldier burned on half his body, the fire was still fluttering along his side. I had known the guards for so many years. They were family friends. My friends. I heard louder screams behind me as a another wave of soldiers terrorized the the city. They were Japan's Monster Military Division.

_What? _I didn't understand. In my city they were only ever called on to handle riots in the monster community.

Was Japan training their division to _kill _their fellow monsters? I watched as they decapitated and mutilated their own kind. It was all I could do to keep from throwing up. I heard screams coming in from the other side of the doors. Through the sounds of bullets and explosions, I could hear my brothers yelling, trying to fend off the invaders. I guessed they made a more devastating entrance from the garden.

I bolted through the large entrance and sped into the house. But not soon enough.

My father's youngest son lay in a pool of blood, his stomach gutted with a blade that was still stuck deep inside. I wailed and begged his eyes to open.

"Brother! Brother! Why hadnt I come sooner?! My dear brother! What have they started?! Why didn't you run My poor Jian!"

But it wasnt like my fathers' sons to run. Especially his youngest. He was always trying to prove himself...We were the closest in age -two years apart, and he was a hot tempered fire of will. Just like me. I didn't want to leave him but I had to find my father and other siblings, hoping they were alright. This proved futile, of course, but I held fast.

"Ba ba?"

"Ba ba!"

I almost felt disoriented as I turned corner from corner, heading to his throne room.

"Ba ba!" He was kneeled over a monster soldier, sticking his sword in the male's abdomen. A few other soldiers were dead around him.

"Father, I thought you were -"

"Jinafire!" My smiled faded as I noticed the rapidly bleeding wound on his side.

"No, no Father!" He held up his hand as I tried kneeling near him.

"I will be fine."

"Where are your gaurds? Some one is supposed to be with you-"

"Your brother was here, But I sent him off, I told him I'd be fine...Jian." It came out almost like a question, and I just slowly shook my head, tears welling up and escaping. He shut his eyes tight and turned away from me. I knew he was blaming himself. This man of pride. He had just lost a son under his command. But it was all crashing down around each of us, and there was no way I could console him now.

"I knew this would happen, they were only getting a taste of war before...Find your uncle and your brother Ling. They will get you to safety."

"But Father-"

"Quickly!"

"But-"

"_GO!"_

I kissed his cheek and ran blindly, I had no idea where my uncle and brother were, but I did as the old dragon wished. Luckily his age was the one advantage he had. The wound, though bloody, would heal itself in a short time.I remembered making jokes about him. Laughing at him as he smiled down at me.

"_I may be old, but remember this my little dragon. Time bares masters, and like me, you will have a lot of that. Master yourself, and you will master everything else." _Memories flashed in my head like a slideshow. Us making fun of Ling for being so studious, staying cooped up inside, Jian charging at dummies in the training grounds and somehow losing, celebrations and festivals held to celebrate the monsters, Jian lighting my first sparkler for me. It was all ending in a storm of gunfire.

I couldnt run anymore. My tears distorted my vision as my pace slowed to a lazy jog... and then I fell over. "Jiiiaaan! Father...Liiingg!"

"Jinafire!" Breaking my laments, Ling had grabbed my shoulder and was shaking me. But seeing him only made me cry harder. He pushed me into him and held on, his blue light blue scales shining with sweat.

"Come, we have to get you out of here." My uncle followed behind him.

"We have to do it Ling! Right now!" We ran into a backroom of the palace. The shimmery stream of light caught my eye. It seemed to float, like a small rip in the middle of the air. My brother broke my focus on the mysterious light.

"Jinafire, my dear sister. You must enter this light. It will bring you to a safer place, not plagued by the laws of this world. Now!"

"What? Ling I can't leave you!" Japanese soldiers' yells were growing closer.

"Ling. Hurry!" He looked at my uncle with a deadly fire and turned back to me.

"I love you sister, but you must go. We will find a way out. We will find each other again!" He grabbed the fabric of my dress and threw me towards the shimmery light, just as soldiers entered the room. My uncle screamed, and set the tiny room ablaze with green fire.

That was the last glimpse I saw of my perfect world. All of my memories taken away just as quickly as they were made, consumed by ravaging violence.

I did not know where I was, but I landed _hard_. The floor was cold and unforgiving against the back of my head. I pushed myself up on my elbow as the room swayed around me, unable to keep my vision straight. A large black shadow came over me, and I could hear a harsh voice yelling.

"Who are you?! Why you in Suchong's lab?!" He was holding a gun to my face, of that I was absolutely certain. But before I could move my tongue, I was overcome by darkness. Memories of my family just...fading into the black.

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><p><strong><em>Well, that was Jinafire's little short story. I had this idea in my head for the last couple days. It was bothering me so much, I had to start writing. It was distracting me from my main story :P Maybe I'll continue it later. Idk. Tell me what you think if you feel like it :) thank yooouuu<br>_**

**_QuickFacts: "Jian" is a Chinese name meaning "persisting tirelessly" and "Ling" means "clever, intelligent." I decided to give Ling that name because he was gonna be the one to figure out the tear, study it, so I wanted the knowledge of the tear to tie in with a clever character. "Ba ba" also means "dad" ^-^_**


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